Hi, I have recently been diagnosed with MS and have been suffering from very weak legs. I have been for some treatment with the neurophysio who recommended I start to exercise. As I am now on the mend I decided it was time to join the gym! I have been for my first session today but don’t feel it went all that well. After a small amount of time on a cross trainer and rowing machine I can barely walk and can’t move my left hand. On the whole, not the outcome I was after! I was wondering if anybody could recommend any classes or specific exercises that will help not hinder my MS. Any feedback would be very much appreciated!!! Thanks, Amy
Amy
over 3 years ago I got on a 10 week gp refral it was only an hour a week with a personal trainer he worked with me and done exercises to suit my MS. it was tuff going but he said if I could stick at it he gave me his word that by the end of the 10 weeks I’d feel the benefits and it would get easier. I joined a big DW sports gym when I done my 10 week course and never missed anymore then a couple of weeks and that was 3 years ago
I was so weak and the fatigue I had was a nightmare I tried a treadmill and a crosstrainer but I just couldn’t manage them after a couple of minutes I could barely walk the pins and neeedles In my legs and most of my body where bad.
I learnt that the exercise bike and weight training was all I could manage I could barely lift a couple of kgs with my good arm and 1kg with my weak arm my legs where the same 5kgs with my good leg and I could just about move the machine with my weak leg and a couple off km’s at best on the exercise bike I can do about 10 minutes on the rowing machine now to.
but now I’ve no fatigue aslong as I work out If I miss more then a week I can feel the fatigue creeping back again now if I’m going out for the day or night instead of sleeping for hours so I can do it an hour in the gym I’m full of energy and buzzing.
I can now lift 15kg’s with each arm and leg press 120kgs and cycle 10km’s in just over 20 minutes I can walk 10 minutes at 3mph on the treadmill I dare not use the crosstrainer It just wipes me out If I do to much and the pins and needles start a minute or 2 underneath a cold shower letting the water run from my head down the full length of my spine and they go away.
Its really improved my balance and walking to.
The only advice is learn your limits don’t over do it and slowly build up at the start you will feel you can’t do it and you might feel worse to begin with but take it easy to start with you’ll start feeling great and the benefits a bit of exercise can bring.
I was never in a gym in my life never done any exercise its only now I know and feel how good it is.
Mark x
Hey Amy,
Good to see someone else giving the gym a go.
You know which parts of your body are weak, example: left leg, left arm and maybe core muscles.
At my gym all the machines have man picture with what muscles the machines work on.
I would say go on cross trainer in a months time allow your legs and arms to get use to the machines and start on a really low weight with 5 reps if thats easy increase to 10.
When I first started I went like a looney on everything at low weights example Bicep curl 60Ibs and for 4 days my legs was like jelly arms hurt and bum cheeks felt l’ve been stabbed all over them.
Week later I did everything again and no issues, I guess it was a wake up muscles pain.
2 years later my foot drop has gone, I can lay flat on my back and lift my weak leg up off the ground and with the bicep curl I’m not lifting 130Ibs 20 times.
If you don’t suffer from spasticity and do the leg machines you should notice a big difference in strength and control over time.
Legs:
Leg Extensions http://www.biokineticspt.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/VR1-Leg-Extension_13050.jpg
Leg press great for foot drop
http://www.treadmillscentral.com/images/397.jpg
Even with weak hands holding and gripping machines over time will help with grip and fingers.
The americans been doing study into gyms and found gym machines more beneficial than plain old physio for people with MS.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QMOA8JI40ro
We have some stroke people down the gym also.
The way I look at the gym is arms and legs will get stronger and over time heavier weights become easier,
if you can lift close or greater than your body weight then legs and arms will cope easily with your normal weight with less fatigue of muscles in every day use.
Hopefully you can grab somoene to go with you it will help keeping you working out have a chat and carry on,
after each machine give yourself a little few min rest muscles will recover after 4 to 5 mins and with increased blood flow to them they wake up.
You may get muscle, pain even tremours and shakes this use to happen to me and after 5 months they vanished.
I normally go mondays and fridays for at least an hour.
Also more importantly its not just the muscles your working its the nerves and constant flow of axons being sent down
the nerves to the muscles.
Sorry its so long lol I get so enthusiastic with the gym as I’m stronger now than before diagnosis and know it works.
Good luck with it.
Oh drat your have to copy and past some of them links pictures of the machines
HI Amy. I’d been going to the gym for about 6 years following a GP referral due to osteoarthritis in my right hip; MS was diagnosed Nov '12 and I continued to go, but it got more and more difficult, despite experimenting with different levels of difficulty / time spent on various machines etc. Soooo after speaking to MS Nurse and GP I swopped my gym membership to swimming from Nov '13 and now go twice a week (OK, sometimes I don’t make twice, but that’s my target!) I’m not a strong swimmer, but have found that it’s an exercise I can cope with. I still feel tired after going, but generally it’s a nice relaxed tired, not the exhausted/wiped out for the rest of the day tired that I ended up experiencing at the gym.
I guess we’re all different, so hope you’ll soon find some exercise which is right for you.
Hazel x
Hi Amy I’m recently dx with rrms. I was anxious about returning to the gym as I was experiencing numb feet and a bad back. I’m glad I’ve done it though. I mainly work on the CV equipment but am looking to work on my core as well. Have you spoken to gym staff? They will be able to help devise a programme etc. The main thing I’m trying to focus on is to not give myself a hard time for not being able to do as much as I could/want to. Been kind to yourself. L x
Hi Amy!
Sorry to hear that you have recently been diagnosed, but great news that you are being proactive and undertaking some exercise.
I cannot stress enough how important exercise is, especially when you’re dealing with an illness such as ours. Exercise has been scientifically proven to be massively beneficial to us and I am utterly convinced that my body would be very much worse had I not led a very healthy lifestyle in which exercise played a very large part. I won’t bore you with my history, but please feel free to check out my posts, if you’re interested.
Anyway, muscle spasms/ spasticity aka. Secondary Dystonia are my only real MS sysmptoms. It has affected my left side only; particularly my arm and leg and I experienced considerable weakness on that side.
When I was able to venture back to the gym, I took things very gently indeed. This is very important no matter how good you are feeling.
The last machine I would consider is the Cross Trainer/ Elliptical. As Hobbs stated, I would leave that machine for at least a month. Remember, if you are experiencing muscle weakness, you are trying to use a machine that isolates a number of muscle groups in one go. If done properly, the Elliptical is a tough piece of kit
I initially set off using only the Exercise Bike. It’s very safe and non stressful, but still an excellent CV workout, if you want it to be. I don’t know what your level of fitness is, but set the bike to its easiest level and continue for 15 minutes then rest. for 5 mins. Remember you are retraining your new MS body. It’s not the same, unfortunately. If the gym is your thing, then speak to one of the club trainers. They will properly advise you; otherwise this post could potentially run to pages.
Remember, it’s baby steps. This is a whole new world
I also swim, but again, swimming can be done leisurely, or it can be an excellent CV workout. Again it depends on your baseline (your starting point). It’s very low impact, but I worried initially that I may have a spasm etc in the water, so I avoided it for several months, until my fitness level had picked up considerably.
Anyway, I wish you lots of luck whatever you decide.
Best wishes
Tracyann
Get yourself an exercise bike and do a bit of cycling - little and often - go at your own pace.
hi amy
pilates is good for strengthening the core muscles. if you can find a class run for people with ms that’s even better.
hydrotherapy is wonderful and you dont even feel like you’re exercising but believe me you are!!!
yoga is good for flexibility. make sure the instructor knows that you have ms.
in the gym, make sure you have one of the trainers know your ms and ask him/her to work out a programme for you.
good luck babe
carole x
Hi Amy I go to the gym two to three times a week and use the treadmill, cross trainer and the bike. I was a regular gym goer before I was diagnosed but following a relapse, that led to dx, I had to take four months off. On returning I could barely manage 5 minutes on each machine but just over a year later I.m now up to about 15 minutes on each machine which is a huge improvement. The other method of exercise I have discovered is a class called Otago. It is brilliant. It’s like a follow on from the physio therapy sessions I had been having. It mainly works on strength in your legs and balance. It was recommended to me by a fellow mser’s wife who is a physio therapist. It’s mainly being used and offered to elderly to help minimise falls but this lady felt it would also be hugely beneficial to someone with ms and I must say I have to agree. I may be the youngest person in the class by about 25 years but who cares, I’m reaping the benefits and they are a lovely bunch. We have a great time every week. It’s definitely worth considering if you can find something in your area. Ann Marie
Hi Amy,
All of the above is good advice. I also go to the gym 2-3 times a week and I belly-dance as well. Its a bit like yoga etc in that it has helped me strengthen my core and I am convinced my co-ordination would be much worse without it.
Also just remember that even for people who do not have MS, the first time to a gym or even returning after a long absence and you will suffer. Its not a quick fix and it will take time for your body to adjust to doing something new but don’t give up. I would definitely recommend speaking to a personal trainer.
Good luck hun
JBK xx
Hi Amy,
Just got one of these http://www.medimotion.co.uk/; I’m obviously worse than you (confined to a wheelchair) but apart from my venom is the best thing I’ve done.
Rather expensive £4,500 but you can hire them £750 for 3 months. Wish I exercised more; use it or lose it is so right.
G
Hi Amy, I have an MS physio that comes to my house on a monthly basis and gives me excercises which I find helps and which I try to do everyday. It costs me £10 per month. My local Branch also pays £10. So I think it is a worthwhile investment. Good luck with whatever you decide. Trevor X
I swear by my weekly pilates class. As someone else posted it helps my core and so supports my balance & co-ordination. I can also do some stretches independently when I get stiffness or spasms. I really enjoy the class and it’s probably the first exercise that I can say that about! My instructor knows I have MS but the class is a regular one. Hope this helps. Ann xx
I’ve just discovered my local ms society swim club which does a short aqua aerobics session and then you can just swim. As someone who used to be at the gym or swimming frequently before my episodes and recent diagnosis, this is the first exercise I’ve done apart from walking and stretching and I’m pleased so far as I am pleasantly tired afterwards not totally fatigued. I’m going to try yoga next week. I hope you find the right thing for you.
Hi Amy,
It could be that your MS symptoms are aggravated by the rise in body temperature (can’t remember what this is called, but I’m sure that someone will as it’s very common in MS).
It may be worth taking it easy at the gym or going for exercises that are more gentle, or less likely to make you overheat (swimming/pilates/yoga).
Mags 
xx
Hi
I’m another one who can recommend Pilates as, as the others have said, it helps your core strength & will help balance & walkng. However, whatever exercise you do, remember to take regular breaks, even if it doesn’t feel like you need it. Our muscles can get fatigued more easily now, so will need resting more. If you ever go to a class, there’s no shame in sitting an exercise out to get a breather for a couple of minutes.
Good luck with it though, you just need to be able to find the right balance for you.
Dan
Hi Amy, I’ve recently started back swimming, like yourself the pins and needles in legs is really aggravated by exercise plus I have pain. I find the water is great,
Hi Amy
You may find it helpful to be referred by your GP to the gym, locally it’s called the exercise for life scheme. This is cheaper than the normal gym membership and should mean you will be assigned a personal trainer who is qualified to help with your condition.
As other have said exercise is very important with MS, however different things help different people.
I do yoga and go to the gym. I’m at the different end of the spectrum to some of the other posters. Initially I struggled to do 2 minutes on the recumbent bike (no treadmill or cros trainer for me) but eventually I could do 10 minutes. It’s really important to get the right support and advice.
Good Luck!
Anne x